Of the 29 present and
former officers, six are being criminally investigated, the
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said.

There are 25 current and four former officers under investigation
by the IPCC. Only two serving officers have been suspended.
The rest have been
placed on restricted duties.

The majority of the rest have been placed on restricted
duties.The IPCC is
looking into allegations of misconduct and perversion of the
course of justice, with officers being investigated for alleged
failures over victim safeguarding and problems with the
investigation process.

There are also concerns about the honesty and integrity of
officers over the way some investigations into child abuse were
conducted.

Essex Police said it had taken “a number of immediate actions
to put things right.”

The latest notices given to officers mean the number of policemen
and women currently under investigation has nearly doubled since
the beginning of the inquiry into the police force.

Initially, when the IPCC announced its investigation into Essex
Police’s handing of child abuse cases, only 12 officers were
being investigated. That number has now risen to 25 serving
officers, and four further ex-officers.

“We took a number of immediate actions to put things right
and will work with the IPCC to identify where further
improvements need to be made.

“We are working closely with partner agencies and children’s
charities to ensure the force gets expert, independent advice,
and the changes we have made to the way we investigate child
abuse cases mean that our investigations will be of the highest
standards possible.

“There is no more important issue to Essex Police than
protecting children,” he added.

Essex Crime Commissioner Nick Alston said the force “must be
careful not to pre-judge the outcome.”